Only in science fiction have people flown in spaceships to explore the outer reaches of the solar system. But a yearlong study by NASA and DARPA aims to make long-distance spaceflight a reality -- a century from now.

The two agencies are working on a 100-Year-Starship study that will attempt to examine not only the technology needed but also a viable business model to enable long-distance manned space flight in 100 years, they said.

With the end of the space shuttle program scheduled for February 2011, NASA is turning its attention to sending manned spacecraft to Mars and beyond.

With the space agency's strategic agenda also shifting slightly to focus its technology research on the Earth's problems, such as global warming, NASA has enlisted the Department of Defense's technology-research arm to help it envision the future of space travel.

The basic goal of the 100-Year-Starship program is to develop a plan to engage with and facilitate private co-investment in long-distance manned spaceflight to support the time necessary to develop a viable program, according to the agencies.

The agencies anticipate cross-discipline work encompassing physics, mathematics, biology, economics, and psychological, social, political and cultural sciences, as well as the usual engineering and technology efforts needed for spaceflight.

DARPA also expects that technology and strategies developed by the study to support DoD mission areas, such as propulsion, energy storage, biology/life support, computing, structures and navigation, it said.

Beyond the DoD and NASA, the agencies hope the investments they're making in developing a plan also will inspire private entrepreneurs, the engineering and scientific community, and students interested in related disciplines to contribute to the study's ultimate goal.

Welcome to
TechWeb, the IT professional's online resource for news coverage of the
information technology industry. We know technology news. Our mobile
and wireless news coverage moves as fast as wireless technology itself.
We follow all the devices you depend on to stay connected. Our software
coverage follows the multi-faceted software industry from every angle.
We've got a lock on network security and computer security issues.
We're all over the business of the Web--the Internet business--and the
engines that run it. We have our eyes and ears tuned to the players who
make and run the tools that tie us all together--Google, Microsoft,
eBay, Cisco, Yahoo, Oracle, Apple, Sony--and scores of others. And we
keep close tabs on the backbone of information technology, PC hardware.
We know PCs and Apple computers inside and out. We cover computer
technology, computer news, software news, search engine news, business
software, operating systems, and software development. Our coverage of
tech news includes a strong focus on the security business, its
attendant spyware and viruses, how security relates to wireless
technology and business networking and the security issues surrounding
RFID technology. We closely follow developments in Internet news and
Internet technology, including the spread of broadband and its effect
on Web browsers and the Web business. We watch the VoIP business, and
how VoIP technology is affecting the state of telephony in the
enterprise. And if all that isn't enough, we also track developments in
the IT industry that affect IT jobs, IT careers, and outsourcing.